About

At zooModern, we design for imaginative open-ended play, with simple well-crafted toys using natural materials to give children a sense of well-being when discovering their world of animals.

zooModern in 100 Words

Once upon a time, a young man loved to draw and make wooden animals. He soon became an artist for Sesame Street and designed smart toys for kids. He realized that simple designs can captivate a child’s imagination. Later, he worked for Toys R Us, where he taught children through play. He returned when the company closed. “You should make your own amazing wooden animals at fair prices,” his wife said. “You should make smart toys that help children learn,” his son said. “We should help protect animals with every toy sold,” his daughter said… and “Huzzah!” zooModern was born.

I am GLEN HAY

…zooModern is my creation, and this is my story.

Born in the farmlands of Ohio, at the age of 18 I published my first comic strip in the local newspaper titled Edna, named after both my Grandmothers, about the antics of an elderly lady. I faltered as a photographer at Ohio University and after only my second year, I left…BECAUSE… I read an ad in the back of a comic book to become a comic strip artist. I soon was accepted to attend the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning. I loved it but again, I had to leave after my second year for lack of funds to return. I took on many odd jobs to get by like sign painting and t-shirt printing but soon enough, I found a freelance job as an illustrator in the children’s apparel industry. My work caught the attention of the Jim Henson Company, where I learned independent design and old-school craftsmanship. I moved forward to work as an Art Director with the Sesame Street crew, designing toys and handling their overseas cast of characters while learning the culture of the European markets. More recently I worked at Toys R Us, helping contribute to designing their “Most Profitable Toy for the Year”, against the likes of Lego, Hasbro, or Mattel.

Plot twist!

As Toys R Us closed its doors, I launched my own brand called zooModern, a line of wooden peg animals and toys. I believe that buying a toy animal should be easy and fun – and leave you with some money still in your pockets.

ZooModern is committed to designing hand-crafted items made from natural and renewable materials. This is my own creation and my own business that is always growing with wonderful new items every season.  I am grateful to all the people I have been able to connect with and look forward to continuing to grow in the natural toy world with you.  Thank you for shopping with us at zoomodern.

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